Umm, what was this? What happened?

[amydidit]

Okay, I really don't know if this is where I need to put it, but I wanted advice from a professional midwife (and students, and anyone ~laughs~). This is going to be pretty graphic so to get the question across... sorry if TMI.

Okay, I'll start this by saying I don't (didn't) think I was pregnant. A couple months ago my period was about a week late, but I took a test and got a negative. Took another, got a negative. That period was extremely light when it came. I kept having a *feeling* I was pregnant, but without a positive test and still having my period I have to assume I wasn't. But, then what just happened?

Last month my period was a couple days early and although heavier than the month before it was a lot lighter than normal for me. I didn't think anything of it.

Then this month. A few days earlier still than last month and it was MUCH heavier than normal. No clotting no pain, but it was so heavy I was starting to get scared. I use the Instead cups which are supposed to last 12 hours. For me I typically can use one for 4-6 hours on my heavy days, but when I started this month I was leaking after about a 1 1/2 hours. I started feeling really weak and disoriented after a couple days, thought perhaps it was making me anemic so I loaded up on nettles and alfalfa and went to bed. Yesterday I woke up feeling a bit better, but not quite *right* yet, so I took more nettles and alfalfa and went to work. My flow was lighter yesterday, more like normal for me. I wasn't feeling as bad either. Today I woke up though and it was REALLY heavy again, even more than before. I started to come in to work and on my way I started feeling intermittently crampy. When I got to work (less than 2 hours from putting in the cup) I was leaking BADLY. I cleaned up and took out the cup and noticed a HUGE clot. Much bigger than normal for me. It didn't look like a normal clot either. I picked it up and felt it and it didn't break apart like a normal clot, felt very thick and heavy, almost like solid pieces in it. It was roundish and sort of flat, about 2 1/2" across and maybe 1/2" thick at the thickest point. There was a long thin piece hanging from one of it as well (about 6") than didn't break apart either. I rinsed out the cup and put the piece back in it and filled it with water. I figured if it was just a blood clot it would start to break apart in the water. It didn't. So I wrapped it up good and have it in the fridge right now. Just in case.

So, what was that? Any ideas? I'm still bleeding pretty heavily and feeling occassional cramping, but nothing horrible.

[Jane]

I think that, given the negative pregnancy test, you weren't pregnant, but instead had a homonal "thing" going on that cause a minimal amount of build up of uterine tissue, and then a delayed period with only a little bit of endometrial shedding.
To me, the clot sounds like a clot that hung out over night getting complex before showing itself. It is possible to have tissue like strands in a normal period.
Occasionally heavy periods are normal. Getting heavier periods can be a symptom of some types of birth control, perimenopause, or thyroid conditions, and lots more.

[birthgreeter]

Sorry, but it sounds like you may have had lost a baby.

[amydidit]

Thank you both. The *piece* reminded me heavily of a piece of placenta that I passed a week after the birth of DD2. The texture and feel mostly. But I can see it being tissue strands as well.

Gotta get back to work. More later.

[amydidit]

Okay, sorry to post and run before. We only had a short break and I was late getting back.

Okay... where was I? Okay, my main confusion was that I've never actually seen a clot that would not disolve at all in water. And it is solid, I can't really break it apart. I'll probably look at it more later when I get home. Not exactly something I feel I can examine properly in the middle of work. I don't think the other people here would understand.

I do have hypothyroidism, but I've been on meds for it for years. I wasn't able to take it for a few weeks though due to a stupid doctor's office, but the odd periods the last few months were before I ran out of meds (and couldn't get more ~grrrr~), and now I was back on them before this happened. I suppose it's possible, and possibly probable.

I don't know. I wish there was a way to know FOR SURE what it is/was. I don't have insurance right now so I can't take it to the doctor and ask her. And I don't know any midwives out here in Pueblo so I really don't have anyone here that I can show it to and ask.

[lilgsmommy]

Originally Posted by amydidit

Okay, sorry to post and run before. We only had a short break and I was late getting back.

Okay... where was I? Okay, my main confusion was that I've never actually seen a clot that would not disolve at all in water. And it is solid, I can't really break it apart. I'll probably look at it more later when I get home. Not exactly something I feel I can examine properly in the middle of work. I don't think the other people here would understand.

I do have hypothyroidism, but I've been on meds for it for years. I wasn't able to take it for a few weeks though due to a stupid doctor's office, but the odd periods the last few months were before I ran out of meds (and couldn't get more ~grrrr~), and now I was back on them before this happened. I suppose it's possible, and possibly probable.

I don't know. I wish there was a way to know FOR SURE what it is/was. I don't have insurance right now so I can't take it to the doctor and ask her. And I don't know any midwives out here in Pueblo so I really don't have anyone here that I can show it to and ask.

I have periods every few months, with clots like you described.

Not all clots will disolve in water...some of mine were so thick and had normal tissue in them that they never did. My dr has sent several off for testing..nothing abnormal, just excessive clotted blood....some normal tissue but never placenta or fetal tissues is ever in them. HTH

[Jane]

Is it pregnancy you're most worried about? You could have a quantitative blood test for HCG to detect the falling levels after a miscarriage. But it's not neccesary unless you keep bleeding, don't get a next period. But you would seek out care even without this mystery, no? If you kept bleeding or didn't get a period and wasn't pregnant...

If you want to mourn this as a baby lost, you don't need permission from anyone else. If you want to assume it's a period and not feel a need to do anymore thinking about it, that's your right, too.

I think it's probably related to thyroid - I didn't know you were hypothyroid, but that was my top two choices beyond birth control.

[amydidit]

I'm don't know if I'd say *concerned* about pregnancy, I guess it just struck me as odd. The weird periods, the *feeling* of being pregnant despite the tests, then this. In my mind I don't think that's what it was, but for my *peace of mind*, I just wanted to get to the bottom of it. I don't feel any mourning or anything. I've had a miscarriage before, a loooooong time ago, but the pain was much more intense with that, but it was about the same amount of bleeding. I don't know... this is just the most bleeding I've ever had, and then weird clot thing. Probably just my imagination getting the best of me.

Yeah, thyroid... that's likely it. I'm only 33 so perimenopause would be unusual. And I'm not on hormonal birth control. So it's likely due to the thyroid.

Thank you all! And of course, if there are any other ideas or takes on this I'm more than willing to listen ~smiles~